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Tagged with Study Abroad

I could tell when the study abroad application deadline was approaching at WashU because a couple of juniors reached out to me and asked me about my program. They were considering applying to it for the Spring of 2018. I remember being in their position about a year ago faced with the same decision. I was worried about SIT Netherlands because the few reviews I had been able to dig up online were from a long time ago and lamented the program’s disorganization.

It’s hard to believe, but somehow I am within my last month in Amsterdam. And just as I was finally starting to settle into my schedule—finding the best study spots near SIT, actually starting to enjoy Dutch class, and honing the perfect-length podcasts for my bike commute—the ground began to shift between my feet. My classes ended a week and a half ago, and I am faced with the daunting prospect of an independent study project (ISP in SIT lingo), in which I conduct qualitative interviews and write a 40-page research paper (or at least attempt to), all within three and a half weeks.

As far as European countries go, the Netherlands isn’t exactly known for its fine cuisine. Basic foods, like potatoes, vegetables, cheese, and bread constitute the Dutch diet, owing to a penchant for frugality that dates back to the end of the Golden Age in the 17th century. However, in my experience, food culture is thriving in Amsterdam. Increased immigration in recent decades has brought forth a bevy of cuisines to the city. I can get almost any kind of food imaginable within walking or biking distance from school.

I came to the Netherlands expecting to experience a certain degree of assimilation into Dutch culture. I expected to “study” abroad in more than one way—there was studying in the traditional sense of classroom learning, and then studying culture through experience, striving to become more and more integrated into authentic Dutch culture.

When I meet locals in Amsterdam, they ask me whether I am studying at the University of Amsterdam or VU, the two main institutions here. I start to explain that my program is unaffiliated with either university, that it is small and consists only of 25 American students. The School for International Training (SIT) runs these types of programs all over the world, all of which emphasize field work and experiential learning. I chose SIT Netherlands first and foremost because I wanted to study in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam’s geography is strongly influenced by canals, which make concentric semicircular belts that surround the medieval city. There are more than 60 miles of waterways in the city. I used to think it was a pretty big deal to have a property with a waterfront view, but that was before I saw both a copy center and a Subway sandwich shop that overlooked canals.

When I chose to do a homestay program in Amsterdam, I naively envisioned myself in one of those bright, colorful houses that line the canals. Based on what little knowledge I had—that Amsterdam is a progressive city with a penchant for efficiency and views fit for a postcard-- I assumed everyone here lived well, in small homes with IKEA-inspired interiors.

Tea is my favorite drink in the world. I favor black teas, usually an Earl Grey or English breakfast. I average two cups a day, and I'll drink it regardless of the temperature outside. I think it's a comfort thing. A hot cup of tea makes me feel warm and cuddly inside and helps me start the day with a clear head. Like so many other things that I enjoy in life, the discovery of tea was entirely accidental (at least that's what the legend says).

When talking to friends from home, one of the first questions I get is, “Have you made any friends?” or “Have you gotten to know any English people?” I reply honestly: “Not really.” Then they look confused or sad and ask, “Well, why not?”

When I first landed in London, it didn’t feel like I was in a foreign country. There was no language gap to overcome, no major differences in architecture or city planning. It all felt incredibly familiar. I was raised in Chicago, which is one of the bigger cities in the United States, and though it doesn’t come close to the size of London, the rich areas and poor areas of Chicago look strikingly similar to their London counterparts.

The end of this week marks the middle of my term here at King’s. This means that I have made it through five weeks of course work, and after a week off (ideally to study for midterm assessments), there are five weeks left. What does this mean? It means that my learning time overseas is halfway over. Time has flown by, and I realized that I haven’t shared much about how my academic life has been.

This past Sunday I got a bit lost. Well, perhaps lost isn’t quite the right word because I passed places I’ve visited before. So let’s say that I was a little directionless. For two hours I was weaving my way around the City of London, SoHo, and Covent Garden. Why was I walking with no goal in mind? Partially to get in my daily 10,000 steps and also because I was getting really stressed out.

Two weeks ago, on the way to Serengeti National Park, I saw a mirage on the savanna. An illusion of a lake at the end of the dry season. I saw what wasn't there. What couldn't be there yet. The rains would begin to fall that week, but on that drive, what I saw was not reality. The fact that I knew it wasn't really there did not make the illusion go away. In some ways, that experience sums up my experiences over the past two weeks.